The Ultimate Guide to Breath of the Wild Shrines
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) is a massive game, brimming with secrets and challenges. One of the most iconic and rewarding elements scattered across the vast landscape of Hyrule are the Shrines. These bite-sized dungeons offer puzzles, combat trials, and unique rewards. For many players, a primary goal is to discover and conquer all of them. This leads to a very common question: How many BotW shrines are there?
The Grand Total: 120 Shrines
Let's cut to the chase: In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there are exactly 120 Shrines that you can discover and complete throughout the game world.
These 120 Shrines are spread across all the major regions of Hyrule, from the snowy peaks of the Hebra Mountains to the scorching deserts of Gerudo and the lush forests of Faron. Each Shrine is marked by its distinctive orange glow when activated and can be identified on your map once discovered.
The Purpose of Shrines
But what's the point of finding all these Shrines? Beyond the sheer joy of exploration and the satisfaction of solving their challenges, Shrines serve a crucial gameplay purpose:
- Spirit Orbs: Each Shrine completion rewards you with a Spirit Orb. These are the primary collectibles for powering up Link.
- Heart Containers and Stamina Vessels: By collecting four Spirit Orbs, you can visit a Goddess Statue in any of Hyrule's various towns or villages. At these statues, you can choose to exchange your four Spirit Orbs for either an additional Heart Container (increasing your maximum health) or a Stamina Vessel (increasing your maximum stamina, allowing you to run, climb, and glide for longer).
- Fast Travel Points: Once you activate a Shrine, it becomes a fast travel point. This is invaluable for navigating Hyrule quickly and efficiently, saving you a lot of trekking time.
- Unique Challenges: The Shrines themselves offer a diverse range of gameplay experiences. You'll encounter:
- Puzzle Shrines: These focus on logic, environmental manipulation, and using your runes (like Magnesis, Stasis, Cryonis, and Bombs) in clever ways.
- Combat Shrines: These test your fighting prowess against various enemies, often culminating in a fight against a Guardian Scout.
- Blessing Shrines: These are the simplest. You enter, and often there's a chest waiting for you with a treasure. The challenge here is usually just finding the Shrine itself.
The Importance of Completing All Shrines
While you don't need to complete all 120 Shrines to finish the main story of Breath of the Wild, doing so provides significant advantages:
- Maximum Health and Stamina: By completing all 120 Shrines and exchanging your Spirit Orbs, you can achieve the maximum possible health and stamina for Link, making the later stages of the game, including the final boss, much more manageable.
- Mastering Mechanics: The variety of puzzles and combat scenarios within the Shrines helps players become intimately familiar with Link's abilities and combat system.
- Sense of Accomplishment: For completionists, finding and conquering every single Shrine offers a deep and satisfying sense of achievement.
- "The Ultimate Reward": Completing all 120 Shrines and obtaining the "Hero's Aspect" armor set is a significant undertaking that many players strive for.
Where to Find Them
The Shrines are cleverly integrated into the environment. Some are in plain sight, while others are hidden behind elaborate puzzles, require specific weather conditions, or are found in remote, hard-to-reach areas. Many are tied to side quests or Korok seed challenges.
You'll often spot them by their distinctive orange glow from a distance, and they'll appear as a small Shrine icon on your mini-map once you're within range. The Sheikah Sensor, a special tool acquired early in the game, can also be upgraded to help you locate nearby Shrines, making the hunt a little easier.
A Note on DLC
It's worth noting that if you have purchased the downloadable content (DLC) for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there are an additional 16 Shrines available. These are spread across the two DLC packs and offer new challenges and rewards. However, when people ask "How many BotW shrines are there?" without specifying DLC, the standard and universally accepted answer refers to the base game's 120.
"The journey through the 120 Shrines is as much a test of your wit and skill as it is a tour of Hyrule's diverse and beautiful landscapes."
- A seasoned Zelda fan
FAQ: Your Burning BotW Shrine Questions Answered
How do I know if I've completed a Shrine?
Once you've successfully completed a Shrine, its orange glow will turn blue, and the entrance will permanently be open. A Shrine icon will also appear on your in-game map with a checkmark next to it, indicating it's been fully conquered.
Why are some Shrines hidden so well?
The developers at Nintendo designed the Shrines to be both rewarding discoveries and tests of the player's observation and problem-solving skills. Hiding them encourages exploration and a deeper engagement with the game world, making the moment of discovery feel more impactful.
Can I get more than 120 Spirit Orbs?
Yes, with the base game, you can obtain 120 Spirit Orbs from the 120 Shrines. If you have the DLC, you can get an additional 16 Spirit Orbs from the 16 DLC Shrines, for a total of 136 Spirit Orbs. You can exchange these for a maximum of 30 extra Heart Containers and 30 extra Stamina Vessels, with leftover Spirit Orbs remaining.
What happens if I fail a Shrine?
Don't worry if you fail a Shrine! You can immediately attempt it again without any penalty. The Shrines are designed to be challenging but fair, so persistence and trying different approaches are key.
So, to reiterate, the definitive answer to "How many BotW shrines are there?" in the base game is 120. Happy hunting!
